Methods of servicing a well bore using self-activating downhole tool

• US 20050241824A1
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Fripp, Michael L., Hales, John H., Rodgers, John, Towers, Darrin N., Schwendemann, Kenneth L., Burris, Wesley J. II, Starr, Phillip M., Goiffon, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,322,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/255.100
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/00 Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/10 Tools specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/119 Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/04 Measuring depth or liquid level

Abstract

A method of servicing a well bore comprises deploying into the well bore a zonal isolation device operable to self-set at a sensed location, and self-setting the zonal isolation device to hold at the sensed location without receiving command communications from the surface, wherein the zonal isolation device is deployed along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force. Another method of servicing comprises deploying into the well bore a tool operable to self-activate at one or more locations, and self-navigating the tool to determine the one or more locations without receiving communications from the surface, wherein the tool is moved along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force.

Claims

1. A method of servicing a well bore comprising:

deploying into the well bore a zonal isolation device operable to self-set at a sensed location; and

self-setting the zonal isolation device to hold at the sensed location without receiving command communications from the surface;

wherein the zonal isolation device is deployed along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein self-setting the device comprises applying hydraulic pressure to the well bore.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein self-setting the device comprises releasing energy stored within the device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is deployed via an external force by pumping the device down the well bore, by dropping the device down the well bore via gravity, by lowering the device down the well bore, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is operable to identify the sensed location without receiving location communications from the surface.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

sensing the location of the device within the well bore via an onboard navigation system as the device is being deployed into the well bore; and

releasing at least a portion of the onboard navigation system from the set device for retrieval at the surface.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising logging properties of the well bore via the onboard navigation system as the device traverses the well bore.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the device seals the well bore at the sensed location.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the device seals the well bore after communicating with the surface.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising pumping a servicing fluid down the well bore to a location above the set device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the servicing fluid is a fracturing fluid.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the fracturing fluid enters and fractures a formation via a set of perforations in the well bore.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

deploying a perforating gun into the well bore after the device is set, and firing the gun to form the set of perforations.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the perforating gun is deployed by dropping the gun down the well bore via gravity, pumping the perforating gun down the well bore, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein deployment of the gun is stopped when a spacing component engages both the set device and the perforating gun.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the spacing component projects from the bottom of the perforating gun, and wherein deployment of the gun is stopped in response to contact between the spacing component and the set device.

17. The method claim 15 wherein the spacing component projects from the top of the set device, and wherein deployment of the gun is stopped in response to contact between the spacing component and the gun.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising releasing the spacing component into the well bore before deploying the perforating gun into the well bore.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising at least partially collapsing, folding, bending, buckling, fragmenting, dissolving, burning away, or combinations thereof the spacer rod during or after firing the gun to lower the gun with respect to the set of perforations.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

deploying into the well bore a second zonal isolation device operable to self-set at a second sensed location above the set of perforations; and

self-setting the second device to seal the well bore at the second sensed location.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the second device is operable to identify the second sensed location without receiving communications from the surface.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

deploying a second perforating gun into the well bore after the second device is set, and

firing the gun to form another set of perforations in the well bore.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the second perforating gun is deployed by dropping the gun down the well bore via gravity, pumping the gun down the well bore, or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein deployment of the second gun is stopped when a second spacing component engages both the second set device and the second perforating gun.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising at least partially collapsing, folding, bending, buckling, fragmenting, dissolving, burning away, or combinations thereof the second spacing component during or after firing the second gun to lower the second gun with respect to the another set of perforations.

26. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

deploying a perforating gun within the well bore before the device is deployed, and

firing the gun to form at least the set of perforations.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the perforating gun is deployed by dropping the gun down the well bore via gravity, by pumping the gun down the well bore, or a combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the perforating gun is operable to self-fire at one or more sensed locations.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the perforating gun is operable to identify the one or more sensed locations without receiving communications from the surface.

30. The method of claim 8 further comprising releasing the device to unseal the well bore.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the device self-releases without receiving communications from the surface.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising returning the device to the surface by floating the device to the surface, flowing the device to the surface, or both.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein releasing the device comprises at least partially degrading the device within the well bore.

34. The method of claim 30 further comprising retrieving the device via a connection to the surface.

35. The method of claim 30 further comprising fishing the device out of the well bore.

36. The method of claim 1 further comprising self-setting the device at a desired azimuth orientation.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising azimuthally orienting the perforating gun with respect to the set device.

38. A method of servicing a well bore comprising:

deploying into the well bore a tool operable to self-activate at one or more locations; and

self-navigating the tool to determine the one or more locations without receiving communications from the surface;

wherein the tool is moved along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein servicing a well bore comprises servicing a deviated well bore.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein servicing a well bore comprises servicing a lateral well bore.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein servicing a well bore comprises drilling a lateral well bore.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein servicing a well bore comprises abandoning the well bore.